


all I want for christmas (is you)

by alexandradanvers



Category: Aquaman (2018), DCEU, DCU
Genre: Christmas fic, F/M, Fluff, arthur and mera are so cute ugh, experiencing snow, forehead kisses!, they're so soft ahh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-09-26 07:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17137280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexandradanvers/pseuds/alexandradanvers
Summary: It's Christmas and Arthur wants to bring Mera to experience the surface world joy of celebrating Christmas.~“Arthur, Mera, it is Christmas tomorrow, Arthur has proposed to bring you to the surface and has asked for my permission. And I have agreed to it, as well as your father.” said Queen Atlanna, focusing her gaze on her son. “I know it’s dangerous, but we have decided that you’ll travel without companions. Watch and take care of each other.”





	1. December 24th, Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> My first ever work for DC, so hope you enjoy it. Arthur and Mera are so cute and ugh I had to write a fic for them. I'm also finally back after a few months of hiatus so hopefully I haven't lost the flow. I don't own any of the characters (obviously), I just play with them for fun. It's also in no way beta-read; all mistakes are mine. Enjoy!

The gentle sloshing of the ocean wasn’t enough to wake the king, as per usual. The soft glow of the morning Sunday sun had cut through the layers of the ocean, lighting up Arthur’s chambers. It had already been well into the late morning, and Arthur was late for brunch as usual. He had just gotten somewhat used to sleeping in water, though he much preferred sleeping on his own bed on the surface. He had somehow awoken with his long, unruly head of hair in his face that he swiped away as he rubbed his eyes. A knock came from the pearl white door which reflected the morning sun.

 

“Come in!” He yelled.

 

A familiar fiery red strand of hair peeked out from the opened door, which was followed by the green glint of Mera’s suit. She swam over to the king, her hair floating behind her in delicate waves. As soon as she reached the area that was a bubble, her wet hair fell to her shoulders, no longer a shade of fiery red but rather a shade of burgundy. 

 

“Morning, my king,” She greeted him, as she did every morning, with a cheeky smile. She used her hydrokinesis to take the water out of her hair and gently guided it back to the ocean. It had become a habit for them: Mera would go on her morning swim and do her royal duty rounds, checking up to make sure everything was running smoothly, while Arthur would still be sleeping in bed. She would make her way to his room at about 10:30, waking him up to get their late breakfast together, and for Sunday, brunch. “My king” was not of formality, yet a pet name that Mera would use on her boyfriend.

 

It had been a whirlwind of a relationship for Mera and Arthur, balancing their time in Atlantis where Mera would teach Arthur the ins and outs of being royalty, with the time spent on the surface world, in turn, where Arthur would teach Mera the dwellings of surface people. It hadn’t been hard for Mera to find joy from the simplicities of the surface world, away from the royal duties that were incredibly time-consuming. Now with Queen Atlanna back in Atlantis, Atlanna had lightened the royal duties for Arthur, giving him the time to return the surface world every few days, and granting Mera a status that allowed her to travel to the surface with Arthur, but she hadn’t found the time to spend more than a mere few hours.

 

“Morning, love.” He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, disregarding her slightly wet hair as she sat down at the foot of his bed.

 

“Brunch is served and the queen is waiting for you in the hall,” Mera said, as she moved to lean with her back against Arthur. “She requests your presence,” She continued as she sighed, wanting to stay there longer, herself unhappy with her own request. Arthur slid lower in the bed, dragging Mera with him too. She could feel his heartbeat align with hers and she sunk deeper into his arms. They lay there for a moment, appreciating the majestic underwater kingdom.

 

“Okay, let’s go, as much as I know you hate getting out of bed, Arthur, you wouldn’t want to disappoint Queen Atlanna with your tardiness,” Mera said as she turned around and got off the bed to pull Arthur out of where he had covered himself with the blankets. Arthur stayed in place, grabbing on to the frame of the bed in an attempt to stop Mera from pulling him out. Mera couldn’t believe Arthur, who was head to toe in bulging muscles, intimidating and towering over basically everyone, in the sea and out of the sea, was such a sleepy head and a softy.

 

With one final pull, Mera yanked the king out of his bed, the clumsy and playful child within Arthur pulling Mera down so she was on top of him as he lay on his bedroom floor.

  
The redhead stifled a giggle, leaning down to kiss the king. “Now seriously, get up,” she ordered, brushing herself off and adding a touch of swaying as she swam to the doorway.

Arthur could only shake his head as he got up, rushing to keep up with Mera.

 

~

Arthur and Mera had finally reached the dining hall. The king reached out to push the turquoise blue door, which was adorned with emeralds and pearls. As they approached the dining table, they got to a point where the air bubble was, and as they stepped out pools of water formed at their feet.

 

“Arthur, Mera, here you are.“ The former queen was sat at the dining table, with a wide range of dishes spread out in front of her. It was in one of the bigger halls, a rectangular table that was made up of the finest pearl and gold. It was to sit only the royal family, however, Queen Atlanna had made an exception for Mera, as Arthur would only sit down to eat if she was alongside him. “Come, sit,” she gestured at the empty seat opposite of her. He let go of Mera’s hand, which had been intertwined ever since Arthur had caught up with her. The queen nodded to Mera, letting her know that she could join in the conversation.

 

“Arthur, Mera, it is Christmas tomorrow, Arthur has proposed to bring you to the surface and has asked for my permission. And I have agreed to it, as well as your father.” said Queen Atlanna, focusing her gaze on her son. “I know it’s dangerous, but we have decided that you’ll travel without companions. Watch and take care of each other.”

 

“Of course,” Arthur cleared his throat. “Well, you seemed to enjoy Sicily…… and roses,” He spoke under his breath as he playfully reminded her, which earned him a slap on the arm, although away from the view of the former Queen.

 

“That would be wonderful, your highness. Thank you so much,” Mera gushed, barely containing her excitement. She turned to Arthur, pressing a kiss to his cheek. The heat rose to her cheeks, turning an almost identical shade of red to her hair. It was improper, sure, but the former queen approved of the relationship, as it was bred out of love and not of traditional arranged marriage.

 

“You can leave tonight if you wish. Arthur has it all planned out.”


	2. December 24th, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked and I hopefully delivered! Here's a part 2, and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> I may continue this, I've left it open a bit to more in the future, but I've started a few other Arthur/Mera fanfics that I want to work on. However, if more people request for a part three, I might prioritize this first :)
> 
> Happy reading!

“Arthur!” Mera threw her arms around her love, hyped to go spend time on the surface. Queen Atlanna has just given them the news, and they had left the hall as quickly as they had entered to prepare the Kingfisher for their trip. She leaned back, though still in his embrace. “How’d you know?” she asked.

 

“Know what?” He started, a fake look of confusion on his face. Mera raised an eyebrow. “You were sleep talking once, and you were talking about snow and how you wanted to touch it, and Christmas is the perfect opportunity for snow.” He explained. “Plus I get to bring you on a real date on the surface, and it’s a break from all the royalty-ness,” he whispered under his breath, as he leaned towards her ear.

 

“Thank Poseiden it’s not gonna be in a whale’s mouth.” Mera laughed.

 

“Haha, very funny. Not again. Never again.” said Arthur.

 

“So what’s the plan?” asked Mera, as Arthur set her down.

 

“We’ll go to the lighthouse first, I need to pick up some clothes from my pops, and then we’ll go anywhere you want.”

 

“So it’s not really a plan, is it?” _Of course, Arthur wouldn’t make a plan; he’d wing it,_ thought Mera.

 

 _“_ That…. is a good question. _”_ He said abashedly, redness travelling up to the tips of his ears, eyes raising to meet his love’s emerald green ones. “What?” asked Arthur, as he watched the redhead’s lips curl into a gorgeous smile (well, he thought so anyway).

 

“It’s nothing,” Mera laughed again. “Just that I’m happy to spend time on the surface, especially with you,” she twirled a lock of his golden brown hair, gently pulling on it, teasing him.

 

“Yeah?” It was unusual to hear Arthur speak so softly, but when he did, Mera fell in love with him all over again; She never believed someone who looked so intimidating would be such a softie.

 

“Yeah.” She smiled again as she agreed, the beating of her heart speeding up again.

 

~

 

It was now nightfall, and the pair had already done their last minute checks on their royal duties (well, Mera had done most of it). They didn’t bring anything with them other than the clothes that clung to their skin, and they prepared the Kingfisher 2.0 (a new ship that they had built in the recent months since the older one was destroyed) to help them to the surface.

 

“Mera! Let’s go!” yelled Arthur as he swam to Mera’s chambers. He knocked on her turquoise-green door, which was decorated with gold handles and carvings.

 

“Okay okay, just wait,” Mera hurriedly opened the door and closed it behind her, holding only a small satchel for gold Atlantean coins.

 

“You never were the slowpoke, but I guess you’re learning from me,” shrugged Arthur, leaning against on of the doors.

 

“Woah Woah Woah, hold up big guy.” She put a hand on his chest, pushing him slightly back (which Arthur found so hot) .“Who did all the last minute checks?”

 

“I helped!” He protested

 

“Not really,” She turned around, swimming off and leaving the King in a trail of bubbles. Just as she made her way around a corner, she faced Arthur, a smirk on her face. “Who’s the slowpoke now?”

 

Arthur shook his head as he laughed to himself. He made his way to the submarine docks, only to find his mother there, hugging the princess, wishing her a safe journey.

 

~

 

Not long after, they had finally arrived near the surface, leaving the Kingfisher in a cave not far from the shore. As they broke onto the surface, Arthur could feel the small prickles from where the snow fell on him. Mera reached out with her hand, in an attempt to catch the snow. The white snowflakes would drift from the sky and fall into her outstretched hand, but it would melt as it contacted her skin.

 

“Here we are, my house, well, my surface home.” Arthur introduced, snapping her attention away from the natural wonder.

 

“Your dad lived here for 40 years?” asked Mera, with a touch of a sorrowful sigh. The house wasn’t big in comparison to the lighthouse, which loomed over the wooden building. It wasn’t the house that made it seem lonely, but it was because of the distance it had to the rest of the town; a long stretch of road separated it from the rest of the world. The lighthouse, it struck Mera as a beacon of hope not only for the boats that would dangerously rock in the tides near the jagged rocks, but also a beacon of hope for Arthur and his father: that one day, Queen Atlanna would come back, and complete a hole in their hearts. A gentle glow from a lamp lit up the insides of the house, showing the interior of what Arthur called home. He could see his father pacing inside, a Christmas tree lit inside decorated with ornaments and lights.

 

They got up onto the docks, their feet leaving imprints in the snow as they neared the house. It was a delight for Mera, finally experiencing something only surface people could. She wiggled her feet, aching to feel the snow between her toes. Arthur however, only had a thin shirt on, and his usual board shorts. He shivered slightly, as the snow had peppered into his hair. They held onto each other, intertwined hands between them, enjoying the comfortable silence as they walked up to the doorway.

 

~

 

“Merry Christmas Eve! Here you go,” Tom Curry handed the pair steaming hot mugs of chocolate.

 

“Thanks,“ They said at the same time, nodding their head at Tom to acknowledge their gratefulness.

 

They settled in well into the Curry household, both had changed into the clothes that Arthur had kept there after a quick shower. Arthur donned an identical skin tight shirt with a black hoodie on top, with board shorts despite the cold winter breeze that blew outside. Mera curled up in his favourite grey hoodie (yes, it was his favourite but Mera looked adorable in it so he let it slip by) with a mismatched white flowing skirt, as they both held mugs with steaming hot chocolate swirled with marshmallows that Tom had graciously prepared for them, after seeing them stumble into his doorway. Hot chocolate was another delight for Mera; she loved the way the sweet goodness that warmed her up from the inside. 

 

She leaned into the king, her head resting on his chest. His free hand caressed the soft waves of her red hair, running softly up and down her tresses.

 

“Where you guys going later?” Tom asked.

 

“Just the village. I’m taking the truck for a spin; we’re planning to head into town to see the Christmas tree,” said Arthur. Even if he had said he didn’t have a plan, he had a vague idea of what he wanted to do.

 

“Have fun, you two. Don’t flood the village,” He joked. “How’s your mother?”

 

“She’s doing great. She’s out there ruling Atlantis and being a queen,” replied Arthur, taking another sip from his chocolate.

 

~

 

Arthur turned the radio on, in search of Christmas music, to get into the holiday spirit. A few flips and soon, all I want for Christmas blasted out and Arthur’s head bopped in time. With the windows rolled down, Mera’s hair whipped behind her, catching tiny bits of snow in her fiery locks.

 

They parked into the village, and as they got off Arthur slipped his hand into his love’s. She was fascinated by the Christmas spirit and the festivities happening in the square. The Christmas tree practically reached the sky, decorated with ornaments that the children had made. It glittered in the snow, glowing in the moonlight.

 

“It’s beautiful, Arthur.” Mera’s breath punctured the cold air, releasing a cloud of vapour from her lips. She leaned into Arthur, closing her eyes for a minute to take in the moment. His arms wrapped around her waist, resting his head on her shoulder. She had never seen a Christmas tree, and the fact that it was so common to surface dwellers yet so beautiful made her wonder what else she was missing out in life.

 

“Yeah, it really is. How do you like Christmas so far?”

 

“It makes Atlantis seem cold at this time, not only literally,” She laughed. Festivities in Atlantis were limited to royal birthdays and the only public holiday was the day that Atlan had become the first king. “I love it.” She turned in his embrace, wrapping her arms around the king and lightly kissing him. “Thank you, Arthur.” She whispered, her voice soft and light.

 

Children stared at her as the pair walked in the Christmas market, searching the stalls for anything interesting. Her uncanny resemblance to Ariel had the children intrigued. They whispered and thanks to her enhanced hearing could hear the character she was compared to.

 

“Arthur, who’s Ariel?”

 

“A mermaid.“ Casually shaking it off focused on the Christmas sale, not really thinking about the similarities between his love’s and the mermaid. He picked up a snow globe in his hands, admiring it. It was one of the lighthouse, and the snow that glittered on the inside matched the weather as he shook it more. “I should get this for dad, what do you think?”

 

“That’s nice. But who’s Ariel? Mermaids aren’t real.”

 

“I told you, she’s a famous mermaid on the surface. Just cause she doesn’t exist doesn’t mean she can’t be, you know, famous. She’s also a princess,” He pointed out. He paid for the snowglobe and gave a few coins to the stall handler. “Thanks, man.”

 

“So she’s basically me but a fake.” She mused, unhappy with her lookalike, as they walked forward, Arthur practically dragging Mera to look at each and every stall.

 

“Yeah, basically. But you’re hotter. A lot hotter.” He said, a slight smile tugging on his lips.

 

“And?” She mirrored his smile, prompting him further.

 

“And you’re a better princess than she ever was. And smarter, definitely.A better leader too. Remind me to watch The Little Mermaid with you soon.”

 

“She was a princess too? Was? What happened to her?”

 

“Mhmm. The Disney movie says she married the prince-and if you’re the mirror of her they’re not exactly wrong.” He spotted a clam necklace that was a pendant made of sterling, that would fit Mera perfectly. “You like this?” He turned to the princess. She nodded her head, intrigued by the story. “But in the fairytale, well, she turned into sea foam.”

 

He paid the woman a few Atlantean coins, clutching the necklace in his free hand. He nudged her shoulder, telling her to turn around. She lifted her hair as he put the necklace on her. She felt the coldness of the sterling merged with the snow that fell, as Arthur fiddled with the clasp. “There you go,” He said, finally getting it to connect. “Merry Christmas, love.” He whispered.

 

After her gift from Arthur, she looked out for anything she could get for him. But the stalls didn’t sell anything she thought fit him; she didn’t know what half of their purposes were any. They sat on a bench in the village square, surrounded by the happy waves of laughter of children playing in the snow, some of them building snowmen.

 

This was Arthur’s world, and she had the opportunity to visit his side of home, his version of family. He would be a wonderful king, he already was, but he needed to adjust to the reigns of ruling. And if things went well, she’d be the queen, ruling alongside her love. They would have the chance - of starting their own family. Of having a little boy or a girl, running around the beach or swimming in the palace. Living the hopefully wonderful life of being on the surface and underwater. She listened to her gut feeling, that her dreams would one day come true. She’d rather have no one other than Arthur by her side.

 

“I love you,” she whispered.

 

“What was that?” Arthur chuckled, surprised.

 

“Don’t push it, Arthur.” She raised an eyebrow. “But since it’s the time of giving, I give my love to you, my king.”

 

“The best present I’ll ever receive,” He said, as she snuggled closer in his embrace, pressing a kiss to her head. “I love you too, Princess Mera.”

 


	3. December 24th, Part 3

The clock hit 11:30, and a bell rang out, echoing throughout the town. The children had already gone back to bed, waiting for the magic to happen that night, for Santa to come and lay presents underneath the tree and in the stockings which hung over the fireplace. Mera leaned against Arthur, her hand lightly brushing against his as they walked back to the truck. It was a comfortable silence, one of appreciating that the world was bigger than just the surface world and the underwater world, despite living in harmony. As long as they had each other, it would be alright, Mera thought.

 

They arrived at the truck and found that the top of the vehicle was dusted with a thin layer of snow. Mera grabbed a fistful of snow, keeping it away from the King’s view, ignoring the biting pain to make sure her prank would work. He leaned against the front of the truck, scraping away the snow that had fallen on the windshield. She approached him from behind, wrapping her hands around to reach his face.

 

She playfully cupped her hands around his cheeks, slathering the snow on his face along with his beard, stifling a laugh behind him.

 

“That’s really funny, Mera. Very funny.” He smiled, wiping the snow off his face and picking it off his beard. He playfully clawed at her, throwing handfuls of snow in her hair, pretending to let her slip through his grasp and watching her enter the truck in a fit of giggles.

 

They drove along the coast and it both hit them as they remembered that day Mea had saved Tom when Orm had declared war and sent all the warships tumbling towards land. Tear’s pricked Mera’s eyes as she remembered her ex-betrothed, or more importantly, her childhood friend. They had grown up together, navigating the busy labyrinth they called home, as well as spending all the time they could learn about the legends of Atlantis. They were close, once, but when he had learned about his half-blood older brother who turned his back on Atlantis, he was furious. Furious for Arthur being responsible for his mother’s death. And out of the anger, he channelled his selfish desire for power, with Mera at his side. Mera saw the bad side, they all did, but she also saw that sweet little boy who would spend days studying maps and scrolls, who once was her best friend. She missed him more than she thought she did.

 

“Hey, I miss him too.” With a sympathetic look on his face, Arthur put his hand atop her own, wrapping them in his warmth.

 

No longer than ten minutes later, they arrived at the lighthouse again. Arthur wrapped his arm around the princess’s waist, holding her close and protecting her from the wind. “You cold?”

 

Mera nodded slightly, her head in the crook of his neck. They walked up the stairs of the porch and he opened the door, taking a throw blanket that hung on the inside of the door which was exposed to the crackling fireplace inside. He closed the door “Lemme show you something,” he said, as he wrapped the blanket around Mera to keep her warm.

 

They walked up the stairs of the lighthouse, their footsteps echoing through the black walls, hands meeting in the middle. The whistling wind blew through the cracks of the decaying lighthouse and as soon as they reached the top, they noticed how the blinding light in the glass egg-shaped container seemed to reach out into the sea and stretch on.

 

The air was colder from where they stood, next to the seaside where the waves would come crashing against the rocks. Arthur reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers as if promising to stay with her forever. She could live with that.

 

She studied the ocean, the rise and fall of the waves as they made their way toward land.

 

“Hey, look up,” He used his free hand to nudge her chin upwards, the lingering contact of his cold skin making her shiver a little. Her eyes tore away from the ocean, from her own home, as she looked at the universe above. It had never looked that beautiful from her chamber’s below, even through the clear layers of the sea. She never thought the surface world would be this beautiful. It was an endless canopy of colour, an overwhelming palette of colours that was freckled with the tiniest specks of stars. A shooting star passed, and Arthur muttered for her to make a wish. She followed his example, putting her hands together.

 

_I wish…..for happiness for Arthur._

 

Her hands reached out for his, craving his warmth.

 

~

 

That night they lay in Arthur’s old bed, curled up under layers of blankets that Tom had graciously provided. He seemed to be more relaxed as he waited for sleep to come to him.

 

She knew of the nights he slept restlessly in his bed, waking up in the middle of the night to clear his head. She knew he longed to go back to the surface, to live his old life with his dad. But she also knew of his inner drive to fulfil his responsibilities as the true king. It hurt her to see him like that, sacrificing himself for unity between the surface world and underwater world. He looked so much happier that night, back on the surface world, unburdened by the underwater world. She just wanted him to be himself and be happy. It just wasn’t fair to him, to be given no choice.

 

“Arthur, I know you’re unhappy in Atlantis,” She started.

 

He opened his mouth to give an excuse, but she cut him off. “I know you’re not used to sleeping underwater, and you go out to the balcony at night to look up to the surface. You’re happier here than you were down there, and I know you feel like you don’t belong.” She wiped a stray hair from his face. “Ask Queen Atlanna, I’m sure she’d understand if you took breaks and rested up among the surface-dwellers.”

 

“Mera, I have to prove to them that I can be their leader and their King. Staying up on the surface world - just proves me not suitable to be King.” He leaned against the bed board. “And I’m also not exactly doing it all- Mom still ruling.”

 

“They don’t want someone who they can’t relate to. They need someone who’s like them. Someone who struggles, someone who experiences hurt and pain as they do.”

 

“But they’re going to be people who still don't think I’m suitable, who think I’m weak and not fit to rule. It’s just not gonna make everyone satisfied.”

 

“You’re never gonna get everyone to be satisfied, no matter what you do. You of all people should know that. I know the stress of being King and all the royal duties can really be a lot, but take breaks periodically, please Arthur. It hurts to see you like this.” She pulled the blanket closer. Arthur noticed her eyes were pricked with tears. “You can’t keep hiding your pain.”

 

“Hey, hey hey,” He wiped a tear away from her cheek. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll talk to Mom when we get back. But for now, just worry about what we’re gonna do tomorrow.”

 

“Promise me, you’ll take breaks?”

 

“Only if you do.” Her brainpower practically ran Atlantis. He didn’t know what he could do without her.

 

“Okay,” She nodded, smiling through her tears, as he ran his fingers through her fiery hair. “We'll talk about this when we get back. Goodnight, my King.”

 

He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, sheltering her from the cold. He pressed a kiss to her hairline, the soft tresses of her hair smelling faintly of the salty ocean. She was his lighthouse, the one thing keeping him from falling off track. The one thing that was there and would be there for him for the rest of his life. How lucky he was to have her.

 

The roaring of the ocean had died down, only the familiar rhythm of the waves remained under the silver light of the moon, pulling them both to sleep.

 

“Goodnight, my princess.”


	4. December 25th, Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I didn't update ugh I'll try to get back in the swing of things soon. Stay tuned for more!

She woke up to the sweet smell wafting into the room. Her arm reached over for Arthur, but in place of him was a warm pillow. That would do. She pulled the pillow close to her for its warmth, unused to waking up to such cold weather. She lifted her head to glance at the window and found that the snow had built up so much that it covered half of it. Icicles hung from the rooftop, and it altered the warm sunlight so a single beam of light seemed to light up the entire room.

 

The door was left ajar, but the beat of a Christmas song playing drifted into the room. Picking up a festive throw blanket that was placed on the end of the bed and wrapping herself around it, she made her way out of the room, finding Arthur and his dad working in the kitchen.

 

“Merry Christmas, Mera,” said Tom, as he brought a plate of steaming golden brown pancakes out to put on the breakfast table. It was topped with a piece of butter the had partially melted and created a yellow pool that mixed with the syrup.

 

“Merry Christmas,” she replied, smiling at the festive mood that had pervaded the house.

 

She wrapped her arms around Arthur’s waist, resting her chin on his shoulder; she picked up a hint of the saltiness of the ocean still lingering on him, a reminder of the world below. He turned and kissed her on the forehead lazily, and whispered, “Morning, Merry Christmas, did you sleep well?”

 

She nodded, smiling. She leaned forward and looked into the pan he was holding, glancing at a round and tan pastry like thing in the frying pan. It jiggled as he flipped it over and it sizzled as it hit the pan. A few minutes later, he used a spatula to check the colour. She caught a glance of the light golden brown colour that had started to spread across the pastry.

 

“What’s that?” She nudged her head in the direction of the pancake, and he laughs a hearty laugh that she knows she can recognise anywhere.

 

“It’s a pancake. It’s a sweet breakfast treat, you’ll like it.”

 

She hummed in agreement, trusting him. “What’s the plan today, Arthur?” She removed herself from where she leaned against him, settling atop the kitchen countertop, the throw blanket still around her shoulders. He flipped it onto a plate next to the stove, which was already piled with a few layers of pancakes. 

 

“Ice-skating, if you wanna.”

 

“Mhmm, sure,” she answered absentmindedly, hands reaching from under the blanket to snag a piece that had fallen off the pancake. “What’s ice-skating?” she asked, realising that she had no idea what ice skating was.

 

He scraped the mixing bowl for the last bits of batter, letting the pan sizzle as he made the last pancake. “You wear blades on your shoes and you skate across ice. There’s a lake on the north side of town - all the kids go there, and it’ll be a blast, yeah?”

 

She nodded as Tom made his way into the kitchen, keys dangling in his hands. “Hey, I’m gonna go and decorate the lighthouse; Call me if you need anything.”

 

“Sure, Pops.”

 

“Thanks, Tom.” The door slammed shut as a heavy gust of wind blew, and a series of cracks echoed throughout the house. 

Arthur glanced out the window, noting that the icicles which had grown on the roof had shattered onto the ground.

 

Mera reached over to hold a plate of the pancakes, while Arthur held the other. The two of them sat at the breakfast table, and she could see the flecks of snow settle and pile on the rocks.

 

“This is really good.” She chewed on the fluffy pancakes, which she had practically drowned in syrup and melted butter.

 

“Told you. It’s better than roses.” He laughed.

 

“You won’t ever forget, will you?”

 

“Nope. Never. At least there weren’t thorns in the stem, or you coulda killed yourself. I can’t believe you actually ate a rose,”

 

“Hey! You ate it too. And you should have told me.”

 

Arthur hummed in reply, focusing back on his pancakes.

 

The warm atmosphere of the house was enough to fill the silence as they both finished their pancakes, occasionally looking at the other when they thought they didn’t notice.

 

As soon as they were done eating breakfast, they changed to go skating. Arthur sported one of his hoodies and grey sweatpants, his hair let out in it’s natural curls. Mera however, only had a sage coloured long sleeve maxi dress left that was warm enough for the weather and added a white beanie. It made her fiery red hair stand out even more, and Arthur was pretty sure that she would be called Ariel a few times here or there.

  
He reached over and opened a cabinet, and inside there were three pairs of skates, two black and one white. Each of them had the three initials of the Curry family, A.C for Arthur on the largest black skate, T. C for Tom on the other black skate, and just an A on Atlanna’s white pair of skates. He pulled out his own and his mother’s, checking the size of Mera’s feet compared to his mother’s skates before nodding.

 

He held out the white skates for Mera, slowly handing them to her, showing her how to hold them properly. “Don’t touch the blade, number one. Obviously.”

He pulled over, the truck’s tires sliding against the slippery ice. Mera had the window rolled down, watching as little kids made their way onto the frozen lake. Most of them seemed like perfect naturals, gliding across the frozen surface top of the river. They skated in circles, chasing each other around and racing just like she did with Orm when they were younger. They reminded her of herself whenever she was in the water, free and open to do whatever she wanted. A smile tugged at her lips as she saw a little toddler, about the age of 3 or 4 she couldn’t tell, holding the hand of her mom as they made their first few steps onto the rink together. The little girl slipped a bit, and it brought Mera back to the time she first learnt to swim as fast as a torpedo. Orm and her would practice together, after school, chasing each other and occasionally bumping into a guard or a wall. The young girl quickly got ahold of it, skating more confidently but still clutching onto her mother’s hand.

  
Arthur watched her countenance light up at the sight of the children, bringing his own smile to his lips. He patted her arm, gesturing that he would get the skates. He pulled the skates from the bed of the pickup and they made their way to a sheltered area to put on their skates, his arm wrapped around her.


	5. December 25th, Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy! Happy reading!

She wobbled as she first stepped onto the ice rink, the blade of her skates scratching against the frozen lake. Members of the town had already placed a railing on the side of the lake, to allow beginners to learn the basics of skating. Arthur skated next to her, with the familiarity of if he was swimming in the vast ocean instead. He gracefully skated ahead of Mera, turning around to skate backwards, watching Mera just in case she fell.

 

The redhead put out her arms, steadying herself against the slipperiness of the lake. She was taking baby steps forward, right hand just above the railing to catch herself just in case she fell. Her eyes were trained on her feet, watching the space in front of her so she would safely move forward. As she looked up, she realised that Arthur was standing in front of her, watching in delight, a smile plastered on his face.

 

To prove to Arthur that she could do it, she slowly skated away from the railing and toward Arthur, though still keeping a distance where she could skate back quickly if she needed to.

 

She reached out for him, a hand gripped on his forearm to steady herself.

 

“You okay?” He asked. She nodded. They were skating forward, making progress as they reached the halfway mark of the lake.

 

Soon after her first lap around the lake, she had gained a surge of confidence, skating in front of Arthur, though he still kept a safe distance behind her to catch her from falling.  
  
“How’d you get so good at this?” She asked, briefly turning her eyes around to Arthur. He skated up next to her, his skates lightly scratching the surface.

 

“Dad took me here every year, for Christmas until I was 19. And then I stopped for a while, but I come back for some years when I feel like it.” They reached the halfway mark again. “Doesn’t it feel like swimming?”

 

“I guess. I mean, I see how it would feel like that. I’m still too scared to skate as fast I’m sure you'd usually do.”

 

“The badass princess Mera scared of skating? Gotta be kidding me,” He faked a laugh, skating backwards as he reached for Mera’s hands, pulling her forward. He let go and skated forward at a much faster pace out of her grasp. “Like this?” HIs legs moved gracefully beneath him, and Mera rolled her eyes. She picked up her pace, the urge to beat Arthur (though she knew she couldn’t since he had all the experience) surged through her and she pushed away from the scared thoughts of slipping on the ice.

 

She put her feet one foot in front of the other, gaining speed as she neared Arthur’s grey hoodie. As she reached him, she felt that feeling. That feeling she got while swimming, your hair flying past your shoulders while everything else flew past you. She could feel that glide that she felt in open water, and for a split second, it was just her and nothing else in the world.

 

She raced ahead of Arthur, getting a hang of skating.

 

Soon later they had made so many laps that she had lost count of how many times she had gone around. Her legs ached and were burning, but she decided to just lean against the railing for a quick rest.

 

It was loud at the lake, but it fit in the atmosphere so well that it didn’t seem to be as loud as it really was.

 

He stood in front of her, waiting for her as she rested up. “Come on, let’s go. No racing anymore, though.”

 

She hummed in agreement, taking his arm, casually going for another lap around the lake.

 

“What are we doing later?”

 

“We’re gonna take a boat tonight.”

 

“Where to?”

 

“Somewhere in the middle of the ocean?”

 

“Okay then. That’s nice.”

 

They skated around, Mera now more comfortable with the whole idea of skating, and Arthur, just content to share his childhood happiness with the redhead.

  
~

 

It started to snow once the sun had set, disappearing past the mountains to the west. They went back to the lighthouse to get the boat. They went around the side to get to the shed that was next to the house, which was right between the house and the lighthouse.

 

He pulled the boat up to the bed of the truck, with Mera in the back pushing it so they’d get it done faster.

 

They got back in the truck again, making sure to stop by the house to get a few more layers to keep warm.

 

Soon after they had reached the shore with the boat in the water. The waves had calmed down since the day before, almost as if they were made to lull the rocks to sleep.

 

Mera used her hydrokinesis to make the heavy lifting easier, letting the boat drop into the ocean only with a little splash. Arthur got onto the boat, immediately making his way into the little cabin to steer the boat away.

 

It was a small boat, though it had a little cabin that sat in the middle since it was rainy at Amnesty bay all the time. It was coloured a plain white, and Tom had owned it ever since Arthur was a young boy.

 

The further they went, the rockier the boat got. However, she noticed that the snow grew heavier and heavier, it was such a magical sight she couldn’t pull her eyes away from it.

 

“Arthur look,“  
  
“That’s why I brought you here.”

 

He stopped the boat, the engine sputtering as the waves rocked them gently. She walked out on the sides of the boat, one hand clasped onto the railing. It was cold, but she didn’t mind. As she walked closer and closer to the bow of the boat, the snow fell into her hair. She sat on the bow of the boat, a blanket that Arthur had given her clutched around her body. The boat floated along, and the snow gently drifted from the sky, as leaves would fall from leaves. It fell towards earth gently, the fractals of the snow enlarging and growing as it neared Mera.

Arthur joined her quickly, huddling underneath the blanket and clasping her hand in his.

 

It was raining snow and it almost had a trance-like quality that never let go of her attention. It was a never-ending loop, enclosing their world on only them right there and then.

 

She held up their joined hands, hers above his, as they caught a snowflake. It swirled in a rotating pattern, resembling one of a mini tornado.

 

She let out a content sigh as she leaned into him, his chin resting on her head which was buried in his chest. The snow - though it was cold and windy - it was a relaxing and therapeutic sight that made her feel the pull of sleep.

 

“Thank you, Arthur.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took so long to get this done, with school starting again and stuff. Ugh. I'll try to write more. I'm planning for one more chapter, and that's the morning of boxing day. If you have any suggestions, drop them below :) Thanks!


	6. December 26th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've decided that this would be the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy the ending as much as I loved writing it! Thanks for staying on this journey of writing this fic, stay tuned for future fics!

 The festivities of the previous day had died down, but the Curry household was still full of spirit.

 

“Morning, Mera.” He brushed her hair away from her face.

 

She groaned a bit, still exhausted from yesterday. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she tried her hardest to force them open. “What’s for today?” She yawned, rubbing her eyelids.

 

“Today’s boxing day, which in the Curry household means…..Christmas movies and all the things we missed yesterday.” He laughed. His face lit up like it usually did.

 

Mera cocked her head in response, unsure of what the usual Christmas activities were.  
  
“Well, there's snowman building, and tobogganing and a few more things I think you’ll like.“

 

“Mhmm. I do like that. But what are snowmen?”

 

“You’ll see, Mera. You’ll see.”

 

After breakfast, Arthur rushed to get them outside to build their first snowman. He had shown her more pictures of snowmen that he had built in the past, and she soon understood what they were, blocks of snow with facial features which were limited to rocks, sticks, and weirdly, carrots. They wore gloves on their hands, even if it wasn’t too cold since they were both used to the freezing temperatures below land. Arthur wore a grey beanie as well. Arthur started rolling a small ball of snow on the ground, rolling it in a circle to make sure it would be as even as possible. He pressed down slightly, packing the snow tighter to make sure the snowman would be stable.  
  
Mera joined in, crouching beside him. They made their way around the lighthouse, going around and around until they were both slightly dizzy, but with a sturdy ball of snow at their feet.

 

“That’s good,” said Arthur, as they rolled it until the ball reached the front of the porch, the first layer of the snowman done.

 

“And we keep doing that?” asked Mera.

Arthur let out a grunt of approval. “That’s right.”

 

So that was how they spent the next 2 hours, building the rest of the snowman, circling around the lighthouse as the snow had built up around the base and Tom would have needed to shovel it away anyway.

 

Halfway through, Mera grew a bit cold, unused to the cold winds that blew near the shore. She stood at the porch, hands wrapped around a hot chocolate, a grey scarf knitted by Atlanna around her neck. To contribute to the activity, however, she used her hydrokinesis, which she guided the slightly melted snow into the path of the large snowball Arthur was rolling.

 

Finally, the snowman was built, with legs, body and a head. They had gone down to the beach to collect smoothed down pebbles, even if Mera had insisted that she could just get a few without going down the beachside. They went anyways, despite her protests, though she had a better time than she thought she would.

They walked on the snow-covered stairway that connected the lighthouse to the beach. She was scanning the sand, eyes searching for smooth pebbles.

  
“Arthur!” She covered her face with her hands, as he crouched down and flicked water at her face. She usually wouldn’t be that annoyed, but the cold was really not helping. He splashed her again, this time effectively dousing the grey scarf.

 

She ran to stand as far away from him as possible, flicking her hands in an upwards motion, letting a puddle hold itself inches above his head.

 

“Okay, okay! I’ll stop!” He held his hands up in protest, afraid of the puddle, threatening to drop at any second.

She let her hands drop, guiding the puddle further away from him, though she let a few droplets splash onto his face.

 

Mera smirked; it wasn’t like him to be scared by a mere puddle of water.

 

He slapped her lightly on the arm as they walked further along the beach, their eyes trained on the ground for smooth pebbles. He had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, shielding her from the wind. Soon later, he had retrieved 5 stones, though not the smoothest, and Mera had an identical amount that she had retrieved from the ocean, using her hydrokinesis. Her stones were more smooth due to the waves that brushed upon shore every few seconds.

 

They went back up to the snowman, finding that it had melted quite a bit in the afternoon sun that had arisen. They packed a bit more snow around the base, hoping that it would be enough.

  
After a quick bite with Tom back in the house, which was a refreshing break, they went back outside to finish the snowman. Arthur had snagged a carrot from the kitchen for the nose.

 

They waved goodbye to Tom as he drove off in his pickup, heading into town to buy groceries.

 

“Here,” He handed her the stones, plopping them into her outstretched palm.

 

She arranged them onto the snowman, two for the eyes, five for the mouth, and three for buttons along the body. She picked up sticks that were lying around nearby, snapping off the ends so the sticks had two ends, resembling hands.

 

He stuck the carrot into the centre of the face, holding his hand underneath it for a few seconds to make sure it wouldn’t fall. After securing it, he pulled the scarf of Mera’s neck and wrapped it around the snowman. Lastly, he placed his own beanie onto the snowman. He stepped back to look at the finishing touches and smiled at the end result.

 

He dragged out the old toboggan that Tom had built for him years ago from the side shed. "What's the sledge for?" asked Mera, as they were walking up a slight hill behind the lighthouse. "It's for sliding down the hill." He laughed. "You'll like it."

 

When she sat onto the front of the toboggan, it didn't seem that scary. Yet when Arthur climbed in behind her, holding onto her hands which held onto the thin rope, it seemed like they would slide forward forever. 

 

"Arthur, this doesn't seem like a great idea. You know how I am with heights."

 

Arthur stared on forward, glancing down the hill. In his view, it wasn't too steep. He had done it countless times before, rushing down the hill every year with his father, with or without snow. "You'll be fine." 

 

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, praying to the Gods that she wouldn't die. She knew she was being irrational, but land activities sometimes scared the hell out of her. "Okay, let's go."

 

He let out a yell of delight, pushing them forward to gain the momentum they needed. 

 

The wind lashed in her face, her braided hair smacking Arthur dead in the eye. He didn't mind, however, though his grip on Mera's hand tightened as they reached the part he remembered was the steepest. 

 

They arrived at the bottom of the hill, shoes covered with snow. 

 

"How was that?'

 

"That was insane!" She laughed. She leaned back into Arthur, and he noticed a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Again?" She asked. 

 

"Hell yeah." He smiled as they made their way up the hill again, ready for more and more runs. 

 

Runs and runs of tobogganing flew by, and soon they went back into the house, curling up on the couch as they put on Arthur’s favourite Christmas movie: Home Alone.

 

There was a shrill ring of the doorbell that finally diverted both of their attention from the screen.  
  
“That’s dad. I’ll get it.” Arthur stood up to get the door, leaving Mera still curled up on the couch. 

 

The men put the groceries onto the kitchen island, laughing and chatting about Tom’s day.

 

“Saw the snowman outside, I’ll get a picture of you and Mera.” She heard Tom’s voice travel from the kitchen.

 

“Yeah sure. Thanks pops.”

 

Arthur pulled Mera up from the couch, with her still leaning against him as they made their way outside.

 

The pair stood behind the snowman, posing for the camera. “Merry Christmas!” They yelled, as the white flashing camera light went off.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is currently my longest ever fic, and I'm so thankful of all the kudos and comments that I have gotten. Thank you all so much!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I loved writing them :) A second part will come as soon as I finish writing it, stay tuned!
> 
>  
> 
> Find me on my [Tumblr?](https://agent-alexandradanvers.tumblr.com/) See you there!


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